Preparing For Your Colon Cancer Screening

According to the American Cancer Society, most people should begin routine colon cancer screening at the age of 50, if not earlier. Therefore, if you are nearing 50, now is the time to begin thinking about visiting Dr. Vikram S. Jayanty for gastroenterology in Houston TX and then to go ahead and make an appointment for a colon cancer screening.

Then, once you've chosen Dr. Jayanty for gastroenterology in Houston TX and scheduled your appointment, the next step is to prepare for your colon cancer screening. Here are a few of the most common methods of preparation gastroenterology doctors in Houston TX recommend.

Laxatives

Your colon needs to be clean before Dr. Jayanty can look inside it. A laxative is an easy and effective way to make sure that all of the food you've consumed lately is out of your system before your screening. Be sure to stay near the bathroom if you need to go this route.

Special Diet

Dr. Jayanty may also recommend a special diet before your colon screening, most commonly a liquid diet. On this special diet, you can generally consume clear liquids like water, fruit juice, broth, coffee, tea or ginger ale. Gelatin is also generally okay, but milk and cream are not.

Fasting

If you need your system to be especially clear before gastroenterology in Houston TX, your doctor might also ask you to fast for a certain amount of time, typically the evening and the morning before your test.

Medications

Lastly, your doctor might also request that you take or stop taking certain medications prior to your test. Be sure to speak to your doctor before starting or stopping any medications on your own to prevent any other health complications.

In case you are wondering, there are a few tests that require little to no prep at all. For example, both the fecal occult blood test and the fecal immunochemical test require no bowel prep in advance. These tests are less thorough than traditional colon cancer screening tests, however, so you will want to speak to your doctor to find the best option for you.

With all the prep that needs to be done to clear your colon ahead of time, colon cancer screenings are very little fun. They are incredibly important for preventing colon cancer, however, so be sure to listen to your doctor and follow his instructions closely. It just may save your life.

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